Iron (Rent-A-Dragon Book 2) Read online

  She blinked, looking tempted by the food but trying to avoid it. “You’re going to be so bad for me, aren’t you?”

  He shook his head, pushing several of the plates toward her. “I don’t get it with you people in the modern world.”

  “Modern world?” she asked, tilting her head. “Don’t you mean regular world?” She began to grab things and put them on her plate, which relieved him because it meant she wasn’t too focused on his slip.

  “I just mean you—I mean we have so many conveniences, yet you try not to avail yourself of them. This food is extremely delicious, and I’ve already paid for it, and I see no reason for you to hold back.”

  “I’m always holding back,” she said, picking up an onion ring and slipping it into her mouth, chewing slowly and closing her eyes. “If I’m not holding back, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

  He pushed the last drink toward her, liking how alcohol made her a little more honest. He wasn’t worried about her getting out of control, because he was here to protect her.

  And besides, she seemed to like drinks.

  She took it and put it down eagerly and went back to eating. She was cute when she was relaxed and gave him a soft smile. “You’re right. This is nice. You know, after Ed ripped me off, I just acknowledged I was going to be alone. I just focused on rebuilding trust with the other employees.” She sighed. “But that wasn’t easy either. I feel like no one trusts me to do things, even though I worked alongside my dad all my life, except the years I was in technical school.”

  “I think you’re very good at what you do,” he said. “I’d be surprised if anyone didn’t.”

  She shrugged. “Sometimes it feels like people think I only run it because of my dad, not because I’m qualified. Sometimes I think the same thing. And honestly, with things like this…” She gestured in the direction of the door where the men had gone out. “I feel overwhelmed sometimes. But I can’t show it or it just looks like weakness.” She put her head in her hands. “I can’t afford to look weak.”

  He reached out and raised her chin, forcing her to look at him. “You aren’t weak. It isn’t weak to let people help you. Tell me more about those guys.”

  She pulled away from his hold, flushing. “They’re from the biggest rival auto shop in town. The funny thing is, though, they were never that bad before. Lately, I get the feeling they’re getting more aggressive. They come to work and try to cause trouble or, like you just saw, follow me around.”

  Now that she mentioned it, they had to have someone watching her to know where she’d gone after work.

  He didn’t like that thought at all.

  “What do you mean they’re worse? What did they do before?”

  “Oh, you know, the usual. Trying to steal clients, trying to offer to buy me out when I didn’t want to sell. But they weren’t this… physically aggressive. Sometimes I worry they’re going to vandalize the shop.”

  That was his last concern compared to her safety, but he just listened.

  “And the shop is all I have. Even though it’s not doing well, it’s all that’s left of my life with my dad. And all I know how to do. And it’s mortgaged to the hilt. And now that I’ve hired you, if things don’t start to look up, I don’t know what I’m going to do.” She put her head in her hands again, and he got up and slid into the booth with her, putting an arm around her.

  It wasn’t about her being his mate anymore. It was just about empathizing with this good human woman. Seeing that she needed comfort. That meeting her own needs was more complicated than he ever could have thought.

  As she cuddled in against him, seeming grateful for his strength, he felt warmth flood through him. Helping her with her problems made the anxiety in him, the guilt of the past, fade away.

  If only he could do this forever.

  But she sat up, looking embarrassed. “Thanks for listening. I don’t know what got into me. I’m usually so closed up. Especially with hot guys, and—”

  “Hot guys?” he asked, amused as he pushed her another plate of tasty fried foods and took a long moment to glance at her luscious, curvy figure.

  “You know what you look like,” she said. “I’m not going to feed your ego. You’re way out of my league.”

  He leaned back in the booth, a laconic smile on his face. “Or maybe I’m just another one of those things you could have, but you’re denying yourself.”

  She stopped chewing and stared at him, an adorable, embarrassed flush reddening her face. Then she shook her head and looked away. “Stop teasing me.”

  “I’m not,” he said, leaning into her and tilting her small chin with one finger. Her feminine little face looked up at him, shocked. He leaned in and gave her a little kiss on the side of her mouth, lightly licking away a crumb on her bottom lip.

  Then he sat back, just to enjoy the little shudder of pleasure she made as she looked up at him. She squirmed slightly, and he laughed, getting up and going back to his side of his booth before he could be more tempted.

  He hadn’t been able to resist taking a tiny taste of his mate, but she was quite drunk, and despite the fact that she now looked quite hungry for him, he wasn’t going to take any more.

  With a cute, reluctant sigh, she focused back on her food, and he picked at his, watching her.

  He noticed her sneaking looks at him and wondered how much of this she was going to remember tomorrow.

  5

  Lindy woke up in a dark room, thinking she’d just had the weirdest dream.

  She’d been at dinner with Magnus, of all people. And she’d eaten and drank too much, and—

  She started, realizing it wasn’t a dream, and sat up quickly, patting herself to make sure she still had clothes on.

  “I didn’t do anything,” a lazy, amused voice said as a light clicked on, illuminating her living room.

  She groaned, pressing a hand to her head. “What time is it?”

  “Six in the morning,” he said.

  “Shit,” she said. “What did you give me?”

  “Nothing. You just enjoyed a few drinks, and it appeared to be too much for you.” He was sitting on the chair in the corner, looking infuriatingly sober and smug, with that beautiful hair and that beautiful body and those beautiful, creamy-jade eyes.

  He had something on his lap. Something small and fluffy that looked exactly like her Pekingese dog, Perky.

  But that was impossible. Perky hadn’t been perky since Lindy’s dad died, and she hated strangers. Heck, she barely ever came out to snuggle at all, preferring to sit at the foot of the couch and watch movies with Lindy quietly.

  Lindy was oddly touched by the sight of Perky curled up on Magnus’s lap, sleeping peacefully.

  “How did you do that?” she asked.

  Magnus shrugged. “Once I figured out this thing was a dog, it was easy.” He scratched Perky gently around the ears. “Who knew they could be so tiny? Or fluffy?”

  “Her name’s Perky, by the way.”

  “Good name.” He gave her a smile and she felt caught off guard, first by him being in her place, looking so comfortable. And then by her attraction to him, too strong to be ignored.

  And then by that smug, knowing expression on his face that said he was completely aware of it.

  She let out a small sigh and then remembered the feel of his lips just barely brushing hers. “You kissed me when I was drunk,” she said accusingly.

  He shrugged his massive shoulders encased in a black tee shirt that hugged every muscle. “I got a crumb off of you.”

  She frowned, not sure if she was irritated that he’d taken liberties or because he’d stopped there.

  She was tired of fighting her attraction to him, and she wasn’t going to make another stupid mistake getting involved with an employee.

  What if he just meant to use her? What if he was just like Ed? She didn’t want to be tricked again. Depend on anyone again.

  But there was something different about him. The more she’d relaxed a
t dinner, the more trustworthy he’d seemed.

  He genuinely wanted to get to know her, and the thought was foreign to her after a life of men just being her friend.

  Or a douchebag pretending to be interested to get something.

  But unless she was crazy, there was no mistaking the heat in his green gaze, even in the dim light from the lamp he’d turned on. On some deep, primitive female level she didn’t often access, she could tell he wanted her.

  She just didn’t know why. “Are you a chubby chaser?” she asked.

  He nearly fell off the chair. He walked over and set a sleepy Perky down on her doggy bed and then came back to sit across from Lindy. “A what?”

  “You know,” she said, flushing. “A… guy who likes chubby girls.”

  He frowned. “What guy doesn’t?”

  “What world are you from?”

  “You don’t see the way men look at you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow that was a fascinating shade of reddish-brown. “You’re crazy.”

  “Men are always going after skinny girls.”

  “I don’t care what men are going after. I like curves and softness, but I wouldn’t say I’m a chubby chaser or whatever.” He thought about it, crossing those impossibly long, muscled legs. “I’m a you chaser.”

  “I’ve worked and interacted with a lot of guys over the years,” she said. “None of them have noticed me.”

  He stood, and she felt a shiver of apprehension as he walked over, his handsome face calm and amused as he knelt on the ground in front of her couch. Somehow, that put them on the same level.

  Damn, he was tall.

  “Then they were fools,” he said. “And I’m lucky.”

  This was some kind of dream. It had to be. And she felt something inside her snapping. Something she’d been holding back, masked behind anger and defensiveness ever since she’d met him.

  Ever since that night he’d stopped to help with her stupid tire.

  She was aware of him as a man, and she’d never wanted anything more in her entire life.

  But the last thing she wanted was to be stupid.

  “What do you want?” he asked, moving forward, getting so close. She could feel the warmth of that tall, muscular body and just wanted to throw herself all over it.

  But if this was a joke, it would be the cruelest. She looked into his eyes, worried.

  “What is it?” he asked. “Why won’t you let yourself live?”

  “I already shouldn’t have let go like I did last night. In front of an employee.”

  “We already covered this,” he said, brushing her loose hair out of her face. “Friend, not employee.” His hand trailed over her shoulder. “More than friend, if you let me.”

  “I don’t know,” she said, shuddering at his touch.

  “What if you stopped worrying about consequences, the money, the business? When was the last time you let yourself just live a little?”

  She sighed, looking at the window and the closed blinds in front of it. She’d been shutting out the light for so long. The sun would rise soon. She’d have to go to work.

  But right now, Magnus was here, and her body was too aware of him.

  What was she going to do with him?

  “Are you sober?” he asked, running his hands down to her waist, squeezing the soft flesh there. She tensed, realizing Ed had never done that.

  Magnus really did seem to think every part of her was beautiful. When he looked at her, his focus was on her alone. Almost as if he’d fallen for her.

  He felt her tension and pulled back, standing up. He put his hands up, and she couldn’t help noticing how large and well formed they were. She had to be a man so much at work, she’d forgotten how much she was a woman.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t pressure you. I’m really attracted, and I promise I’m not after your business. But if you want to keep things professional—”

  She cut him off by lunging off the couch and knocking him off balance. He let out a little oof as she knocked him onto the carpet and ended up sitting on top of him.

  She could feel his hard abs under her hips, his firm chest under her hands, and let out a small sigh. Just a taste couldn’t hurt, could it? He was right. She hadn’t been living. She hadn’t wanted to allow herself.

  But when would she have another chance?

  She put a finger over his shocked, slightly parted mouth. “Don’t tell anyone about this,” she said. “We’re not going to do this again.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t agree.”

  “Whatever.” She ran her hands over his chest. She was fully sober now but drunk on the feel of him, the heat of his body, the beauty of his eyes. The kindness he always showed, even when teasing her.

  The way it felt to be safe again, even if it was through someone she hired.

  She wanted to buy into the fantasy, just for a moment.

  She grabbed the hem of his tee shirt and pulled it up, taking a look at him.

  He laughed. “Want me to take that off for you?”

  She shook her head, pulling it up over his head and substantial arms so he was bared to her. “Damn,” she said. “You’re gorgeous.”

  “That’s my line,” he teased, resting his head back and letting her devour him with her eyes.

  She felt over every ridge of his abs, touched his small nipples, then felt along the sloped edges of his huge pecs. Masculine perfection in her hands.

  “What am I, a piece of meat?” he asked.

  She cocked her head. “Is that a problem?”

  “Not at all,” he said. “Enjoy it.”

  She shook her head, flushing. “This is stupid. What am I doing?”

  His hands found her waist again, trailing down to her hips, and a little thrill ran down her spine and settled with a warm heat between her legs.

  She wanted him. This. Now.

  She leaned over him, a hand on either side of his head, and kissed him on the lips, taking him by surprise. He didn’t take long to acclimate, his hand snaking around her head to hold her there as his lips parted and his tongue slipped inside her mouth.

  She squirmed, unable to escape as he took control of her mouth, swiping through her like a storm, making the heat between her legs more unbearable as she wriggled against him.

  He was in no hurry to stop kissing her, though, and she felt herself grow wet just from the feel of his body under her, his experienced lips and tongue exploring her, the strength of his hand holding her captive, making her finish what she’d started.

  She no longer knew who was dominating who, and she didn’t care.

  She thrust her tongue in to meet with his and rubbed her hips along his hard body, loving the stimulation there. He smiled against her lips and lifted her hips, repositioning her slightly so she was over his building erection.

  She moaned, pushing against it. It felt even better there, sliding between her still-clothed legs.

  How good would it feel inside her? The thought made her tremble.

  “You want me?” he asked, pulling back to whisper against her ear as she tried to catch her breath. Her whole body was overwhelmed with him, and they’d only barely began.

  She nodded emphatically and felt him lift her in the air and flip her over. She winced as she dropped but then felt the soft cushions of the couch underneath her.

  He’d just tossed her there like she weighed nothing. Maybe to him she did.

  She wriggled as he set one muscular thigh between the cushions and the back of the couch and positioned the other between her legs. This enabled him to grind up against her easily, letting her ride his leg and his member as his whole body encapsulated her beneath him.

  He kissed her again, this time on the side of her neck, and little sparks of pleasure shot through her, bringing her closer to the edge of something amazing.

  Grinding like this felt like something teenagers did, yet totally hot and right, as his hand sought her breast, squeezing gently and then a little harder, ma
king her moan again.

  His lips came up to claim her mouth, taking her in a deep kiss as he continued their rhythmic thrusts. One hand trailed over her shoulder and around her back while the other found her breast again, tweaking at the nipple that was now hard and pressing against her thin bra.

  “So hot,” he said. “You’re so gorgeous, Lindy.”

  She writhed, willing to believe him when he so easily made her body feel this good. “More.”

  He increased the speed of everything, and it felt like he was everywhere, his lips on her neck, her ears, her lips, his hand on her breasts, her stomach, her thighs. She was weightless, supported, safe, and feeling more pleasure than she’d ever felt in her life.

  He slipped a finger down between her legs and lifted himself up slightly, giving him room to work. The direct stimulation had a powerful effect almost immediately, and she rose, orgasm ripping through her as she screamed and held him close. Her nails scrabbled over his back as if she couldn’t gain tight enough purchase.

  She didn’t want to let him go as wave after wave of hot pleasure coursed through her. She bit her lip against further screams, wondering how so little could feel so good.

  When she fell back against the cushions, he was grinning down at her, looking pleased.

  “That… you probably think I’m… lame,” she said, wondering if the women he was usually with came that easily.

  His eyes darkened. “Why would I think that? I think you’re amazing. The most amazing person in the world.”

  “Because… I don’t know.” She tried to turn over and face the back of the couch, but he wouldn’t let her, placing a hand on her shoulder and gently turning her on her back again.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I mean, I came so easy. And I barely know you. And why would you care about making me feel like that? And—”

  “Because you’re my mate,” he said, sitting back on his knees so he could look down at her. “Of course I want to please you.”

  She pushed herself up slightly so she was sitting across from him. It was hard to hear him clearly with her heartbeat still pounding, but she thought he’d just called her his mate. “What?”